June 26 & 27 Wilco+Sonic Youth: Jeff Tweedy never tries to break your heart. He just gets despondent when you don't want to come hang out inside his navel. But even if his shimmering pity party left a few of us cold (and his winning of the Pazz & Jop poll colder still), you really can't deny that Wilco has SummerStage poison-ivied all over it. (Lying on your blankie/Beautiful and stoned.) Of course, the outdoor charms of SY are patented by now. A summer day is the best nest for the kind of sexy noise blast that truly breaks hearts from Central Park to Murray Street. (Sinagra)
July 6 Orchestra Baobab: They flourished in Senegal during the '70s, reunited a few years ago, and sound like they've played together forever. This multinational combo delivers a lush and languid take on the Cuban-influenced music that swept West Africa during the '70s, a sound almost Ellingtonian in its sophisticated sweep. Drink, dance, make sweet love, or simply ponder its resonant rhythmic abyssesit's all that. With Sierra Maestra. (Gehr)
July 11 Elvis Costello & the ImpostersJuly 16 Ani DiFrancoJuly 23 The White Stripes: The White kids from Detroit have come a long way from the Little Room: At Hammerstein in April, Jack wore a belt with his name on it, pretended to be a southern preacher, and barely acknowledged the audience, while Meg was escorted by a hulking bodyguard. But when they're in action, it still comes down to just a woman, a man, and the energy (and chemistry) that made them famous. And this red-blooded gal sure hopes Jack wears those tight, tight pants againtalk about a ball and biscuit! (Phillips)
August 14 Indigo GirlsAugust 20 Aimee Mann+Ben Folds: These two kinda sad, kinda goofy balladeers may just have meal tickets forevermore playing date music for the reality TV demo. Look around and you'll see lots of people who buy '70s radio-rock comps from on-screen 800 numbers. But there's nothing wrong with wanting a dash of chutzpah in your Karen Carpenter and a sprig of savvy in your Billy Joel. Don't forget the Zima (Admit it you guys, Zima tastes realllly good). (Sinagra)
August 28 Paul van Dyk

June 7-8: Who knows if this featover 35 bands in two days, in a field on Long Islandwill succeed, or if it will turn into another Woodstock '99 (probably not, there are no mooks on the bill), but hopefully it will at least have decent toilets. The lineup is a bit heavy on the mid-'90s Buzz Bin types (Radiohead, Beck, Underworld, Elliott Smith, Liz Phair, Luna, Spiritualized, Tortoise, Ben Lee, Beastie Boys, Blur), with a few token hip-hop acts (the Roots, N.E.R.D., Blackalicious, Peanut Butter Wolf) and some fresh blood to liven things up (Interpol, Röyksopp, the Raveonettes, the Streets, Bright Eyes, Ben Kweller), among many more. (Phillips)

August 22-23 Björk: This Icelandic Goddess, mother of odd pop and her son and daughter, has grown into herself in recent years. After a slew of appearances with Eskimo choirs and in animal costumes, Björk will swan around the aptly named Brooklyn field dressed no doubt in a little kooky colored, curiously seamed, flower-splattered number. She'll sprinkle her audience with forks and feathers and hidden things only Björk can bring to the surface and the cheers and howls might end up woven somewhere through her impending album, which is to be all live stuff. (Pearse)

June 14 Poison+Vince Neil+Skid RowJune 15 BostonJune 18 Santana+Angelique KidjoJune 20 Peter GabrielJune 21 James TaylorJune 24-25 The DeadJune 27 Norah Jones+Gillian Welch: Platinum-selling, Grammy-snagging Jones may be the musical Martha Stewart of our troubled day, but there's nothing wrong with the comfort food so tastefully dished up by this less-is-more jazz singer and her simpatico combo. Welch and partner David Rawlings plumb the depths of American roots music in their timely and timeless songs of poverty, disaster, and ruination. (Gehr)
July 8 Jackson Browne+Keb' Mo' +Steve Earle & the DukesJuly 10 Dream Theater+Queensryche+Fates WarningJuly 13 "Neon Circus and Wild West Show": Brooks and DunnJuly 19 ChicagoJuly 20 "Weird Al" YankovicJuly 23 "Lollapalooza": With alt-rock no longer pretending to be even slightly "alternative" to anything, the big-name lineup of this long dead festival at least makes an attempt at well-roundedness: There are prog-metal mystics Incubus, semi-kitschy pop-punk femmes fatales the Donnas, excellently baked hard rock from Queens of the Stone Age, token hip-hop bores Jurassic 5, token old-school alt-ists Jane's Addiction, and last and maybe least Audioslave, whose slightly turgid supergroup stomp might still be fun live. (Hoard)
July 24 Steve Lawrence & Eydie GormeJuly 25 Iron Maiden+DioJuly 26 Sammy Hagar+Lynyrd SkynyrdAugust 2 Def LeppardAugust 3 Ringo Starr & His All Starr BandAugust 6 The Allman Brothers Band+Karl Denson's Tiny UniverseAugust 11 Aerosmith+KISS: Granted, Aerosmith's had hits in recent years (some of 'em real good 'uns) whereas KISS just repackage old songs, but both of these fun and occasionally explosive live bands are trading on fond memories: Aerosmith recall the days when rock music meant big hooks, irresistible bitchiness, sexy rebellion, and partying till you puked, whereas KISS long ago turned that kind of appeal into a weird, cult-like phenomenon. Happily, both dinosaurs still go well with beer and sunshine. With Saliva. (Hoard)
August 14 "B.B. King Music Festival": B.B. King+Jeff Beck+GalacticAugust 16 "WKTU's Beatstock"August 17 Steely DanAugust 18-19 "OZZFEST 2003": Expect to see more kids with chaperones this year now that the TV show's hit its peaks'all good, the indoctrination has to start somewhere (among the corporate sponsorship). The main corrupter indoctrinatorand the most intelligent and entertainingis the media prankster-subcultural terrorist Marilyn Manson. Other highlights: the Voi Vod reunion with some dude named Jason Newsted on bass; Sony's (huh?) gothic black-metallers Cradle of Filth; the "Village of the Damned" hesher mall/video game/tattoo parlor; headliners Papa Ozz and Zakk with Newsted on bass; and (rumored) this year only, Miller Lite's exclusive "Pee of Leviathan" brew ($15). (Bosler)
August 22 Tori Amos+Ben FoldsAugust 23 The DoorsAugust 28-29 Counting Crows+John MayerAugust 30 Meat Loaf+Cyndi Lauper

'RIVER ROCKS'Pier 54, West 13th Street and West Side Highway, 212-533-PARK, hudsonriverpark.orgJune 8 The Headhunters+Topaz+Radio Mundial

'RIVER TO RIVER FESTIVAL 2003'Castle Clinton Monument, Historic Battery Park, 212-835-2789, rivertoriverNYC.orgMay 27 James BrownJuly 4 Ryan AdamsJuly 10 LambchopJuly 17 Cat PowerJuly 24 Spoon: Hi, this is Britt Daniel from Spoon and the way we really get by is buckling up for safety. The everyman Austin holdout and his crew have been hitting our big lonely city quite a bit as of late, but that doesn't mean the band's tight, indie jitter-torpor isn't still the emotion to beat for yet another season. Whether you're a wistful Girls Can Tell devotee or a retro-fitful Kill the Moonlight zealot, this is gonna be a twist-'n'-swoon party in the great firmamental room. (Sinagra)
July 31 Del McCoury BandAugust 7 Joshua Redman

July 19: Like sunbathing in Central Park, and sticking to the seat of an un-air-conditioned subway car (only much more enjoyable), the Siren Festival is quickly becoming a NYC summer tradition. For the third year in a row, enjoy a hot 'n' sweaty day of kick-ass music, scantily clad hipsters, and freaky Coney Island goodness, all for free, and all brought to you by the Voice. This year's lineup includes a bunch of party-friendly locals (!!!, Radio 4, Northern State, Ted Leo/Pharmacists, hyped-up New Zealanders (the Datsuns), foxy Swedes (Sahara Hotnights), trendy Canadians (Hot Hot Heat), and scuzzy Brits/Floridians (the Kills). (Phillips)

May 25 "WBLI Summer Jam 2003": Summer concert explosions: the great sonic equalizer. Michelle Branch's legit hits get just as much play as Lisa Marie Presley's hackneyed confessionals. Shaggy is considered an artist of substance, and Nick Lachey gets as much burn as wife-tart Jessica Simpson. Lasgo and La Bouche bring the NRG of the megaclub out to the beach, but maybe they're just spinning CDs: Who knows? What I do know is this: Any concert that respects Jennifer Love Hewitt as the vocal talent we all know her to be is a worthy one. Show us your hits, Loveand watch John Mayer squirm. (Caramanica)
June 13 Poison+Vince Neil+Skid RowJune 14 "An Evening With Boston"June 18 Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals+Jack Johnson & Kid KoalaJune 20-21 Santana+Angelique KidjoJune 24 Peter GabrielJune 26 The Allman Brothers Band +Karl Densons' Tiny UniverseJune 29 Neil Young & Crazy Horse+Lucinda Williams: One wrote an ode to fuckin' up, and one's made a career out of obsessing over doing the sameand that's just one aspect of the synaptic similarities between these two middle-aged crazies. The chasm between Young's frazzled, flannelled wailing and Williams's tightly wound emo-country may seem wide, but in reality, it's covered by a thin layer of spiritual solidarityone that's as thrilling to traverse as it is treacherous. Young, with Crazy Horse in tow, has been treating European audiences to long swaths of new material this spring, making the slope even more of a challenge. (Sprague)
July 3 & 5 James TaylorJuly 7 50 Cent+Jay-Z+Missy Elliott +Busta Rhymes+FabolousJuly 10 Jackson Browne+Steve Earle & the Dukes+Keb' Mo'July 11 Dream Theater+Queensryche +Fates WarningJuly 18 ChicagoJuly 26 Iron Maiden+Dio+MotörheadAugust 1 Def LeppardAugust 4 & 6 Aerosmith+KISS+SalivaAugust 14 Aaron CarterAugust 15 "B.B. King Music Festival": B.B. King+Jeff Beck+Galactic+MofroAugust 17 "WKTUs Beatstock"August 21 Sex Pistols: They're out for more filthy lucre, and why the fuck shouldn't they be? Besides the fact that their '96 comeback tour earned less than any in the top 50never mind Neil Diamond's and KISS's outingsthese no-longer-young guns were shams from the begin-ning. Shams with great songs, currently undiluted by new crap, and a bigger name than any other punk nostalgia act. (Catucci)
August 22 Steely DanAugust 23 Tori Amos+Ben FoldsAugust 24 The DoorsAugust 25-26 Counting Crows+John MayerAugust 27 Meat LoafAugust 30 Daryl Hall & John Oates +Kenny Loggins

August 9 Distillers+Dropkick Murphys+Glassjaw+Rancid+the Used +Pennywise+Less Than Jake+Poison the Well+Taking Back Sunday+Suicide Machines+Face to Face+Mest+Thrice+The Starting Line+Tsunami Bomb+Me First and the Gimme Gimmes+Simple Plan +Slick Shoes+S.T.U.N.+All American Rejects+Brand New+Yellowcard+One Man Army+Western Waste+Destruction Made Simple+Coheed and Cambria+Count the Stars